Kirby & the Amazing Mirror

"A Real Treat For Any Kirby Fan!"

Gameplay: 8.5/10
The controls are very responsive & appropriate for the game. Every button does just what you think it would. Anybody who has played Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland will get the hang of this game in a matter of minutes! The plot is a bit weak though, the world within the amazing mirror has been disturbed, and it is up to Pink, Green, Red, & Yellow Kirby to restore peace to the land. Similar to Kirby 64 Crystal Shards, you will be collecting shards of the amazing mirror rather than crystal. The down-side to the game is that is can get a bit confusing. The game allows you to enter and exit levels whenever you want as well as go through them in any direction that you want, so there really isn't a set path for you to take, which sets the amazing mirror apart from other side-scrollers.

Sound: 9/10
All of the classic sounds are back...but they are all better! Not much to say here, the sounds are really crisp, and everything has a perfectly fitting sound. The only thing slightly bad about the sound is that it isn't all that loud even when it is fully turned up. (I guess that is what the GBA Headphones are for... )

Graphics: 9/10
The graphics are beautiful! The sprites are perfectly colored and the backgrounds are like works of art! Aside from looks alone, I'm giving the graphics an 8 because for the first time ever, I've witnessed slow-down in a GBA game & I was like . It happened during a boss battle when I had all four Kirbys attacking and the boss was attacking right back...the game slowed down for a second or two...nothing terrible though, the game recovered from it right away.

Difficulty: 6/10
The difficulty levels in this game are well moderated. Although I've only died twice, every time that you go through an area infested with enemies, there will usually be recovery items or good copy abilities near by. You can think of this game as a Kirby version of Four Swords Adventures; whenever you really need some extra help, you can use your cell phone to call upon the other three Kirbys. Sadly, the other Kirbys aren't all that smart. They tend to kill themselves or go off in their own direction...they do come in handy though. The trick to getting through the game is knowing when and where to use each copy ability. This game has more copy abilities than any other Kirby game. There are a LOT of copy abilities, such as: Normal/Swimming, Sword, Fighter, Missile, Cupid, Smash, Magic, UFO, Throw, Wheel, Ice, Fire, Burning, Cook, Tornado, Hammer, laser, Stone, Mini, & Beam Kirby! There are treasure chests scattered throughout the levels, and they almost always require the use of a specific copy ability to get to. The chests contain things such as 1-Ups, food, maps, sound test sounds, or spray paint cans to use on your pink Kirby to turn it whatever color the paint is. So there is obviously plenty to keep you good and busy for a long period of time!

Overall: 8.5/10
This game is a must-have for any Kirby fan or anybody who enjoys side-scrollers!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/03/04